Trends in the use of time for physical activity in Finland and other countries

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the changes in the use of time for physical activity among 10‐ to 64‐year‐olds in Finland in the 1980s and between different seasons in 1987–1988. Additionally, some results of international comparative studies on the use of time for physical activity have been included. The data for the Finnish population was based on two time‐use studies conducted in 1979 and 1987–1988 in Finland. The method used for the data collection was a time‐budget diary in which the respondents registered their use of time on different activities during the day nationwide. The results indicate that women's time use for physical activity as a mean value per day increased by 12.5%, whereas men's total use of time for these activities remained unchanged. The seasonal comparison showed that the least time for physical activity is used in winter, when the time used for watching television and for passive leisure are at their highest.